Are We Friends or Lunch  The Salvaje
by Ayesha Jen
Summary: Daniel gets to know a new friend and so does Jack. Last chapter.
1. Chapter 1

The Archaeologists stepped out of the event horizon on PX 359 and were shepherded away from the gate by their escort. A hot sun blazed down on a featureless desert stretching to the horizon. The attending soldiers ushered their charges towards a site found the month before. Nursemaid was not Major Jamieson's favourite mission, but this dig site was his find and his responsibility. _'It is going to be a long hot walk,'_ he thought as he wiped the sweat already beginning to bead on his brow. _'A nursemaid job will make a change to fighting Goa'uld or Jaffa or anything else out here intent on killing us.' _The Stargate shut down as they walked away following the latest version of the SGC's all-terrain vehicle, its caterpillar treads making easy work of the sandy surface.

Back on Earth the Stargate iris snapped shut. As the general hubbub died away everyone began to relax and disperse. The Gate Room slowly emptied of all but a couple of technicians checking over equipment. Silence descended on the room as the two chatting technicians left. The huge ring of exotic metals kept its silent vigil for several minutes, just long enough for everyone to begin their next assigned tasks. A hum began in the room and the first chevron lit as the Stargate whirled back into action. Control room staff scurried back to their positions and began investigating the unscheduled activation. Pulse rates began to climb as the alarm sounded through the corridors. Soldiers re-entered the Gate Room to take their positions. Tension continued to rise with each spin of the devise. Only Colonel Jamieson's group was off world and they had only just left.

Hammond entered the Control Room as the fountain of energy exploded behind the iris. One soldier glanced nervously up to the Control Room window, hoping to see some sign to tell him what was happening. Everyone else had eyes glued to the Stargate and guns carefully trained to shoot anything that managed to emerged, not that anyone believed the iris would not hold.

Hammond looked down at the co-ordinates and recognised the symbols immediately. "Get SG1 down here!" he threw over his shoulder into the room sending a woman to the nearest Comm.

"SG1 to the Gate Room! SG1 to the Gate Room!"

"Open the iris!" General Hammond's voice echoed around the tension filled Gate Room. Surprise rippled around the two rooms in response. "On your toes people, this location is known but we were not expecting visitors." One or two more soldiers glanced up at the control room then. It was not normal protocol to open the iris to uninvited guests or possible dangerous objects and they wondered why the old man would do it. The event horizon broke up as their visitor jumped through landing in a crouch and looking anything but friendly.

"Hold your Fire!" Hammond shouted immediately. One or two of the soldiers still looked ready to down their visitor. They were having difficulty understanding why they were not allowed to fire.

At the top of the ramp the visitor straightened up. It was tall, mean and hairy with very large canine looking teeth which at that moment were bared at them in a highly aggressive manner. "It's a damned Wookie," a nervous soldier quipped from behind the dubious safety of his raised weapon.

"It's injured," the soldier next to him noted. An early life on a ranch had given him experience of what injured and enraged animals could do. That knowledge made him extremely nervous about an order not to fire.

Hammond stood in the Control room waiting for his premier team to arrive as the iris slid closed behind their unusual visitor. It let out an angry roar but seemed to have more sense than to move from the top of the ramp. The creature glared around as if searching for something or someone. One of the Gate room doors slid open to admit Sam and Teal'c. They stopped behind the guards but the creature immediately pinned them with his eyes and began to growl. Sam moved a soldier out of her way with a tap on his shoulder.

"He would appear to know us," Teal'c stated in his measured way as they moved closer.

"He's hurt," Sam replied, "and that looks like a Staff weapon injury from here."

"Their own weapons also form similar wounds," Teal'c reminded her.

The second door slid open to admit Colonel O'Neill and a large spider that skidded into him on the smooth floor.

"Zzig watch your feet," Jack snapped at his friend as he was propelled forward a few steps.

"Sssorry Jack."

The apology went unnoticed. The Colonel had already lost interest in his unsteady friend as he stared intently at the large hairy creature. "Get some medics in here!" he yelled and pushed through the soldiers to the bottom of the ramp. "Lower your weapons!" The soldiers showed an unusual reluctance to obey an order. "Do it!"

Daniel arrived through the opposite door and halted. "Oh my," he breathed as he took in the injured shoulder and pushed forward. "Jack?"

"Let Sam go first, he knows us… I think… and should let us help," O'Neill responded to his friend.

"How did he get through the Stargate sir?" asked one of the guards.

"Well I expect he used the DHD," O'Neill drawled with just an edge of sarcasm to his voice.

Sam approached their visitor cautiously, "easy now big fella, we only want to help," she told him quietly and the growl died away. The creature watched her without moving so Sam motioned downwards with her hands for him to lower his body. When he did not move she tried bending her knees as well. Suddenly he seemed to understand what she wanted and he crouched down.

Now he looked smaller and a little less threatening, _'only a little less,'_ O'Neill thought as he slowly approached him. "Sam treated the little monster that attacked us while we were on their planet. They saw us, so hopefully he knows she only wants to help."

"The little one tried to kill her, he would also remember that," Teal'c stated in his measured way.

"They're bright, he can work it out… I hope," O'Neill ended on a less certain note.

"They know how to use the Stargate," Sam added as they came closer. "I would say they have a fairly high level of intelligence." Now the creature had crouched down Sam could see the injury properly and grimaced. "Its deep, a lot of charred tissue and hair embedded in it."

"Can you get it to the infirmary?" Hammond called over the intercom.

Sam looked up to the Control Room in response to the call and the creature followed her eyes to the hairless one above. It equated lack of hair with extreme age and guessed that the hairless one was the elder. He waited patiently now for these small ones to help him. They owed a debt that must be repaid and as irritating as they were their intention had not been to cause harm. _'I must be careful,'_ he thought as his gaze rested on Teal'c, _'that one carries the mark of the enemy.'_

The female was flapping her paws again and he realised she wanted him to follow her. He stood slowly making no sudden moves, it seemed wise as the small warriors appeared nervous. He growled in amusement,_ 'do they think I could harm all of them before they brought me down,' _the Salvaje thought as he followed the female. He looked up to see what the Elder was doing but he was no longer visible.

Several of the warriors moved in behind him watching, as any of his clan would have done in the same circumstances. He rumbled his approval but it seemed to cause increased nervousness among them. Realising that his sounds were being misinterpreted he fell silent. This world seemed strange to him, _'no open skies, no trees. How do they live like this?'_

Later SG1 sat around the briefing room table waiting for Hammond and the doctor. Jack had finally dissuaded Zzzig from her habit of making herself comfortable by building a web into every convenient corner of the base. He still kept one wary eye on her until she settled curling her legs up and used them as a cushion. Then he leaned on the conference table and settled his chin on his upturned hand. The sound of movement on the stairs brought them all to their feet as the last two people arrived for the briefing. Hammond looked concerned as he took his place and motioned for everyone to sit. "Well people do you have any suggestions as to what we should do with our guest? Does anyone know how we can even begin to communicate with him?"

"Well Daniel could take a shot at it," Sam responded a thought obviously shared by the other members of the team.

"I could," Daniel responded, "but I never majored in growls, I'm not sure I would know were to start or even reproduce the sounds."

"The injury our visitor has sustained makes me wonder how much of a hurry he may be in to explain what he wants." Hammond stared down the table a frown forming as he thought the problem through.

Jack tapped the pen he had been playing with on the table and then placed it carefully down. "We could just take a peek at the planet."

"We have no idea what you people might be walking into," Hammond replied negatively. "I can't authorise a mission where Goa'uld could be waiting for you. The circumstances just do not warrant that kind of risk, Colonel."

"The MALP…" Jack started and was interrupted by Daniel.

"We probably owe these creatures our lives. At the very least they prevented serious injury to Sam."

"We do know that Daniel," Jack responded, "but **they** shut **us** out, not the other way round."

"You have a way to ssspeak," a small voice hissed into the conversation. "You ssstill have a piece of Mother. Perhaps the She and I can see what it wants."

"A piece of Mother?" Jack looked blank for a moment. "Oh the uncut rock from your planet. The scientists have that at Area 51. Trying to find out how it is used in the Goa'uld hand devise. Could you use it like that to talk to the Wookie?"

Jack stared at his unusual friend in thought. There were a lot of puzzles attached to him. Zzzig was treated like a lucky mascot some of the time, a pet on other occasions and then as a SG1 team member. They just could not make up their minds how to treat her.

"Wookie?" Hammond's voice rose slightly in question.

"Star Wars," Teal'c interrupted and when Hammond looked puzzled, "a Tauri film entertainment." Sam and Jack both turned to stare at Teal'c in amusement. Teal'c's enjoyment of Tauri Science fiction was always a source of surprise to them.

"It's what the men have dubbed him sir," Jack explained.

"We are not all together sure how the crystal works," Sam commented bringing the discussion back to its source. "The easiest way to explain is that the highly compressed structure of the crystal produces a small electrical charge. This charge appears to mimic the electrical current all living things on Zzzig's planet… and humans… possess. It appears to act as a link between the charges, like a condenser. Well that is what we think is happening. Exactly how it enables you to use each other's senses is something we have not worked out. We also do not yet understand how the Goa'uld have managed to harness it to the ribbon device. We do know that the use of the device on the planet caused pain to every creature close to it. So it seems clear that the connection for that planet's life at least, does not have to be physical. All we have to do is persuade our visitor to hold the crystal and submit to the strange sensation it will produce."

"That means he has to trust us," Jack commented just a touch of sarcasm noticeable again in his voice.

Meanwhile their latest visitor sat on a bed in the infirmary watching the activity around him. His shoulder was swathed in bandages and his weapons were gone. The silence had stretched through the cleaning of his wounds and he realised communication was going to be difficult. Two warriors stood just inside the door watching him, a move of which he approved. Amusement lit his eyes as he realised that others in the room were pretending to ignore him. These creatures were not so dissimilar in actions to the Salvaje. Three warriors lay injured and one looked close to death the Salvaje's guessed as his eyes traced the path of the drips hanging around him.

He sat listening to the sound of an instrument flickering in comfortable rhythm with his heart and watched fascinated for a while wondering why they required to see his heart beating. He poked a finger at the electrodes attached to his chest but made no attempt to remove them. The small female who had bound his injuries came towards him. She stopped and stared at the monitor and then carefully removed the electrodes. Picking up a board hanging on the bed end she proceeded to scribble notes.

"**** *** *****?" She asked him and he growled softly in frustration at not understanding her.

A nervous smile touched her lips as she moved back to check his bandages. He tried to imitate her smile and made a low rumbling sound deep in his chest. When she did not back away he reached for the board that hung from the end of his bed. The guards immediately moved to stop him but were shooed away and they reluctantly moved back to the door. She allowed him to take the board and he studied the markings on it. Then he studied the thin instrument sticking out of her clothing. _'You made these marks with that, I could make pictures… If I try to take it they will be upset. This female is smart,' _he noted as she slipped the implement out of her pocket and gave it to him, _'perhaps I can make her understand.'_ After studying it for a moment he turned the pointed end down and began to make patterns on the board. His felt clumsy with the unfamiliar implement but grabbed a fresh unmarked board when it was offered to him. Then the female left him alone with his new acquisitions. After an hour or so he had created a series of pictures which he hoped would be understood by creatures.

Jack O'Neill entered the infirmary with a little less than enthusiasm. Ahead of him was a large woolly creature with his chest wrapped in bandages. He noticed a small pile of papers beside his bed and a very excited nurse thumbing through the pages.

"Colonel! It has drawn all these pictures and has been passing me them in the same sequence, again and again. I think he is trying to tell me something, but I'm not sure what it is."

The Colonel frowned on the excited nurse and accepted the small pile of pictures that had been passed to him. Having glanced through them once he motioned for the nurse to leave. "I will take it from here," he told her. "Well done."

The nurse blushed as she hurried away. She had only been assigned to the SGC two months before and it was her first experience of anything out of the normal as the command had managed a couple of routine months. The latest addition to the staff was about to find out they were unusually quiet months for her latest assignment. Jack perched on the edge of the next bed and lowered the papers as he gazed at their latest guest. Sliding out the most relevant picture to him he held it up. On it the representation of a Goa'uld ship was sat on the ground and death gliders circled overhead.

"The Goa'uld had no reason to come to your planet. No naquada, or anything else of value to them." O'Neill told him conversationally.

The Salvaje growled softly as he realised at least one of these creatures understood the pictures.

O'Neill saw him stiffen as Teal'c walked into the room with Sam. "He's a friend," O'Neill told him without much hope of being understood. "Either he recognises the symbol on your head Teal'c or he can sense something about you."

"I no longer carry a Goa'uld," Teal'c commented, "it is more likely the symbol."

"Perhaps it is time we had it removed," O'Neill commented and Teal'c raised a mobile eyebrow. "Where is Daniel?" O'Neill enquired.

"Collecting the parcel from area 51," Sam told him as Zzzig entered the room in front of Daniel.

"It hasss arrived," Zzzig commented as she settled beside the bed. "He doesss not like me," she commented as the creature in the bed shifted uneasily.

"He does not know you like we do," O'Neill responded with a grin.

Daniel opened the box and handed the rough uncut red mineral to Sam who took it and stared at it for a moment. "I can sense Zzzig of course but nothing else really strikes me as any different. Zzzig?" she questioned as she handed the rock to the large spider. A small rumble erupted from Sam's stomach and she glanced anxiously at her friends, no one seemed to have noticed.

The spider carefully placed the rock at her feet and stared with unblinking eyes at their guest. After a moment she stared slightly.

"He thinks of himself as Sssalvalja," Zzzig almost growled in the effort to produce the sound.

The large creature straightened suddenly and stared at the spider in sudden attention.

"The Goa'uld came to his planet in ships," she continued and O'Neill held up the picture that corresponded to Zzzig's comment.

"This he has drawn for us," O'Neill replied and the creature nodded as if suddenly realising that the spider understood him.

"They sealed the gate to prevent our return and the Goa'uld found the gate sealed. Because of this they returned and hunted for the ones who had sealed the gate," Zzzig continued. Sam nodded and stretched out a hand in unconscious sympathy towards the Salvaje. He growled softly and touched the outstretched hand.

"They found the small ones," Zzzig stopped. "This I do not understand, he thinks this with contempt. He does not like his children?"

"They are not his children Zzzig, another race I think. Both live on this planet but the small ones are much more aggressive," Daniel explained.

"They stopped one from killing me," Sam explained and a picture formed in her mind of the incident.

Zzzig took the picture and tried to transfer it to their guest who flinch at first and bared his teeth. He swung his legs from the bed and everyone backed away. Suddenly he stopped and bent his head as if he was listening.

"He finally understandsss I can hear hisss mind," Zzzig explained his sibilant hiss becoming apparent as his concentration increased. "The imagesss are very fassst now, I must consssentrate. Please leave ussss to talk."

SG1 assembled in the corridor beyond the infirmary to discuss their progress. "I think Zzzig will be able to tell us what he wants. Then we will know if we can help." O'Neill commented. "I had better report to Hammond. I will see you at the commissary later." With that he walked rapidly away.

"Have we just been dismissed?" Daniel asked as he watched his friend's retreating back.

"I believe that to be a correct interpretation of the situation," Teal'c responded.

"In that case I am going to get something to eat," Sam responded, "I have missed at least two meals already."

Daniel looked at his friend and smiled. "So that was the noise?"

"Was it that loud?" Sam asked anxiously.

"I believed the rumble could be heard above ground," Teal'c responded innocently and his friend laughed in response.

"The commissary by all means then. No wonder the Colonel chose to send us there," Sam answered and they all walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Zzzig skittered down the corridor to meet Jack as he was making his way to the Commissary. Jack tapped the top of her head gently, "food then talk," he told her and she hissed her satisfaction at the plan.

A group of soldiers with their guide were coming towards them and stopped in nervous surprise. Four of them were being trained to enable another off world team to be created and had been brought down for a briefing. No one it appeared had warned them of what they could run into in the corridors of the SGC. "Morning guys," O'Neill called as he sauntered past with Zzzig in tow and grinned to himself as he left the bemused group to follow their guide.

They entered the commissary and found the rest of the team already eating. Jack picked up a fried breakfast and turned to find the chef coming out of the kitchen with a large plate of fresh raw meat for his friend. "Thank you," Zzzig flexed her knees and curtsied politely.

Jack grinned as the chef beamed and carried the large plate to the table for her. "I have a special treat coming in for you tomorrow a whole fresh cow carcass, your favourite. You won't have to eat for a week after!" he told her and she hummed in delight making everyone in the commissary laugh.

Several of the other teams had begun vying for her attention and asking for her to be assigned off world with them. "SG1 already has an alien on there team, it would be good to spread them around a little," was one conversation Jack had walked into when going to see Hammond. The problem with that of course was that Zzzig was not on SG1's team or anyone else's, her status was an unresolved problem that was not going to go away.

"Well Zzzig," Jack asked, "what did our guest have to say."

"Goa'uldssss," she hissed when she had downed another chunk of meat. "They come through Stargate and the little onesss attack and kill. Then they come in ssshipsss and begin killing everyone they can find big and little. He wantsss our help to sssend them away, or kill them. He thinkssss you have a blood debt to them."

"They saved Sam from the little savage creature she tried to help," Daniel said, "perhaps that is what he means by a blood debt."

"Probably, but that is not going to wash will them up there," Jack commented gesturing in the air.

"Then we will have to find a reason to help our Wookie-like friend in the infirmary that them up there will understand," Daniel said in an annoyed tone taking up the gesturing,

Sam and Teal'c looked across at the pair of them and then at each other. Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Sam rolled her eyes in response. Jack caught the expressions. "What?" he asked looking between them, "what?"

"This is the first furry intelligence we have come across. Them up there were eager to get to know the 'wookies' before and disappointed when the Stargate was not accessible. Now, for whatever reason they have reopened the Stargate and the Goa'uld came to investigate why the access had been going on and off. This is probably our fault you know, we do go charging into these places." Sam finished and shoved a spoonful of blue trifle into her mouth. "You know I do not think this works as well as just blue jelly."

"Can we forget your stomach for just a minute now?" Jack drawled. "Carter you go back to the infirmary with Zzzig and use the stone to have some kind of a conversation with it, him, whatever. Daniel, research, see if you can find any records anywhere that might help us with this."

"Like what," a puzzled Daniel asked, "they could just as easily be regressed Furlings for all we know!"

"Just look Daniel," Jack rapped back, "it is your job and you are part of the team."

"And Teal´c well, stay clear of the infirmary for a while. We need to gain its trust and explain who you are."

"Indeed," Teal´c responded.

With his team told to go back to work Jack settled to eat his breakfast. He looked up to find them staring at him and he raised his eyebrows a query in his eyes. Sam got up hurriedly and left with Zzzig at her heels. Teal'c rose slowly and made a dignified exit while Daniel sat staring at Jack. "I am not a miracle worker; there is no record of these aliens anywhere on this base. I have looked before and know there is not."

"Do you not have any other work to do?" Jack asked mildly. Daniel gave up and pushed his chair back and went off in a huff. Jack grinned down at his plate satisfied that he had gotten a rise out of his friend. He continued to eat his food in peace.

Sam re-entered a very quiet infirmary with Zzzig and found Dr Janet Frazier sat at a desk making notes. She looked up and smiled to see her friend and then looked at Zzzig her eyes glittering with amusement. "No webs Zzzig!" she commanded.

"I no build webs in your roomssss," Zzzig answered with an air of innocence.

"Then who did that?" Janet asked pointing to the corner by the Salvaje's bed.

"Oh," Zzzig crooned, "I wasss concccentrating, I no remember doing that."

Janet laughed and passed the spider a broom and pan, "you did it, you clean it," she told her.

The creature in the bed watched the interplay between the spider and the new human with increasing amusement. He could not make up his mind what the spider's relationship was with the other creatures around it, _'except that they all like her even the one whom the others appear to be afraid of, or is it respect they show?' _he was not sure.

"We need to talk to our new friend again Janet. We are not sure what it is he wants from us. We need to know before we start making requests," Sam explained.

"Hmm," Janet responded. "Well he seems fine, apart from the injury of course but it does not appear to hamper him at all. I think he is being very patient in a strange environment. We should move him out of here as soon as possible into some place more appropriate."

"OK. I will see what can be arranged, in the mean time I need to talk to him," Sam repeated.

"Be my guest," Janet responded and grinned.

Sam approached the creature and pointed to the stone Zzzig had left with him. Then she picked it up and concentrated. The Salvaje immediately swung his legs off of the bed and stared at her and the contact was almost immediate and very sharp.

'_My name is Sam and I am the only human here that can use this stone like Zzzig can,'_ she thought at him.

'_I understand you, my name is Granta and I am Salvaje. We need your weapons and your strength to destroy the house they brought down from the sky.'_

'_If we can do this they may send another,'_ Sam told him.

'_Then show us how to fight them and we will destroy any they send to our home.'_

Sam nodded her understanding and considered the request. They had weapons similar to the Jaffa staff weapons so they had some technology, although it was not apparent the one time they were on their planet. More consultation was need, iris technology would be simple to give them, but protection from the Goa'uld Mother Ships was something different again. _'I will tell the General what it is you are asking for and I will also find you somewhere more comfortable to be while we decide what needs to be done.'_

Granta nodded that he understood and offered the drawings that he had been creating while he waited. Sam took the offering and said and thought 'thank you'. Granta looked at her for a moment and then growled, "thaan yuuu."

Sam smiled and indicated to Zzzig to stay with him, so she hung another web in the corner of the room. As she climbed into it she turned her unblinking stare on Janet who approached her. "The Ssshe said I ssstay."

"When you go, the web goes with you," Janet replied sternly.

"Yessss," Zzzig replied meekly but the unblinking stare contradicted her mild acceptance. Janet shook her head and turned to the Salvaje. "His name is Gggranta," the spider told her, trying to reproduce the growl at the beginning.

"Gggranta," Janet copied and pointed to his chest, the Salvaje bared his teeth in a grin. This did not appear to intimidate the small female in front of him and he was encouraged. She pointed to her own chest and said, "Janet."

"Granit," he produced and she grinned at him.

"Not bad for a first attempt," she told him.


	3. Chapter 3

Hammond looked down the table in the briefing room to the large guest sat at the opposite end. Zzzig sat beside Granta and now Hammond really did feel that the SGC had descended into the realms of science fiction fantasy. He was trying to have a strategic conversation with a large bear with a spider as an interpreter. He shook his head and chewed his lip as he waited for SG1 to put in an appearance. In a few hours they would be returning to this planet to battle Goa'uld yet again. They needed to know what kind of forces they would be facing and which Goa'uld.

Everyone but Jack O'Neill arrived together and slid into seats around the table. "The Colonel will be here in just a few moments Sir," Sam told her Hammond apologetically.

He frowned briefly and then stared back down at the table again. Sam wondered what was occupying his mind because he looked unusually distracted. Jack sauntered into the room and took his place at the table. "The Stargate is still operational at their end but it now has a Jaffa guard," he told the group. Zzzig relayed the information to Granta who growled his anger. No one looked frightened or took it personally. They were finally beginning to notice the different tones in the noises he made and knew that was definitely not directed at them. "It's not heavily guarded but they may reinforce the guard now we have taken a peek at them. I vote we send a flash-bang through and follow it guns blazing."

A smile attempted to force its way onto Hammond's face but he suppressed it. "How much time is that likely to give you to clear the area and secure it?"

"Enough to get the equipment through and everyone away from the Stargate. We may have to fight our way back if the plan for getting this Goa'uld does not work," Jack answered seriously. "If we are going to do this we will need at least one other team with us."

"I agree you can take Colonel Masters and his team, they have had nearly as much experience dealing with the enemy as your team. You will need to kit… Granta out with weaponry, I should think he will be quite formidable. Zzzig, ask Granta what happened to his own weapons," Hammond looked at the spider who had been busily telling the Salvaje what was being planned.

Granta growled at Zzzig and she turned and answered in a surprised voice. "He came through the Stargate unarmed asss a sssign of trust. What weaponsss they have were being used to… clear a path for him and ensure no one sssaw where he went."

"We appreciate the consideration Granta," Jack responded. "Well General?"

"Yes, it has been agreed for you to try, but Colonel," Hammond began as Jack started to rise."

"Sir," Jack responded stopping half out of his seat.

"Try to bring everyone back in one piece this time."

**OK. I know this chapter is short for me but I need to get this out of the way so I can concentrate on the storyline.**


	4. Chapter 4

The Gate Room seemed crowded and noisy as Jack entered it, all but the one corner where Granta stood watching the activity. He grinned inwardly at the continued nervousness of personnel around their large hairy new friend and sauntered across the room to stand beside him. Granta looked down at the human and grunted.

"You're welcome," Jack responded as he watched Colonel Masters and his team add to the numbers within the room.

A marine setting up an UAV Predator drone nearby heard the comment and threw a puzzled look at the Colonel. "Surely he doesn't understand him?" He asked his companion in a whisper and then gulped slightly when the Salvaje's head turned and he found himself under scrutiny.

Sam and Teal'c swung into the room and headed directly for their Team Leader. Teal'c hefted an M16 rifle with a M203 grenade launcher attached and proceeded to show Granta how it worked. A rumble of satisfied growls accompanied the demonstration which intensified when Sam handed him a large belt full of grenades. He slung the belt over his head and across one shoulder and took the rifle.

"Now he looks like Chewbacca," Teal'c commented with a grin.

"Your fascination with earth sci-fi never ceases to amaze me," Jack responded sardonically and left the group to go talk with Colonel Masters. "Hi, you all ready Alex?"

"As we will ever be. Zzzig coming with us?" Alex asked looking around. "Where is she?"

"Zzzig is my friend, Alex," Jack responded with a grin "you can't have her. Unless of course she requests the change. She does have her own mind you know." The subject of their discussion arrived in the Gate Room to pats on the head and greetings from most of the personnel present. Granta watched this with interest and growled a greeting that brought Zzzig to his side. "Like I said, she makes her own choices and at the moment she seems to like Granta."

Alex grinned in response to the last comment and nodded toward the Control Room. "Wonder what's keeping them?"

Jack followed his gaze upward and caught Hammond staring down at them. "He will give the go ahead when he knows we are all prepared."

Alex nodded and smiled in response looking toward the Stargate. "Should be an interesting trip. Be a good idea to introduce Harding, Reeves and Mortimer to your new friend. Not that any of them seem worried by him, unlike some," he finished with a laugh. Jack grinned and directed his lazy wave at his team. The group moved across the room to join them and stood waiting for the dialling to begin.

The Predator Drone sat just beyond the reach of the energy spout waiting to be released. Below it hung a small explosive device just in case something or someone was out of range of the stun grenades going through the Stargate after it. The Gate began its dialling sequence and in Jack's mind he could see the Jaffa preparing to attack anything that came through the Stargate. _'They will have a tower in place by now, probably not shielded yet as it would interfere with its defensive role.'_ The energy spout erupted as the Stargate stuck its lethal tongue out into the room. He tensed as the adrenalin coursed through his system as he waited for the Predator to take off. The two teams spread out to go through the horizon two at a time. Teal'c paired up with Granta and Zzzig climbed the side of the Stargate to go through at the top.

The drone shot through the horizon followed immediately by the stun grenades. The soldiers put one through the centre and one to either side. Over kill maybe but Jack did not want to take any chances he didn't have to. They counted slowly 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... Jack and Alex ran up the ramp and through the horizon together, followed by Lieutenant Harding and Sam. Zzzig swung through the top and disappeared. Teal'c and Granta went next followed by Daniel with the last two of Alex's team. Suddenly the room became quiet and everyone looked to the control room. A couple of minutes later Walter came to the window and looked down giving the thumbs up. A sigh of relief washed through the room and equipment began being heaved through the Stargate quickly before it closed down.

The Stargate opened on the planet creating a flurry of activity among the Jaffa. The guard in the tower swung the ion gun directly toward the Gate rather than outward. In the woodland yards away the greenery began to stir as Granta's clan waited for his return. Suddenly the Predator Drone shot out of the Stargate and whipped past the Jaffa before they had time to react. The tower guard's reflex was to spin round and try to shoot it down but it weaved and bobbed unpredictably and he swung back toward the Chappai as he recognised it as Tauri.

Three objects flew out of the horizon in three different directions. He tried to shoot one which then exploded prematurely. The other stun grenades went off a couple of seconds later. The flash of light and high pitched scream of the devices caused the six guards close to the Stargate to collapse. Three more staggered and dropped to their knees but were still conscious. The tower guard was unaffected and waited to attack whoever came next. He smiled viciously as he anticipated a simple victory. He realised his error as the sound of the returning Drone penetrated and froze briefly as two figures ran out of the Chappai and immediately separated. He felt a vibration as something hit the tower and had a moment to fire at one of the figures before the explosive blew the tower out from under him. He tried to jump to safety but his leg broke on landing. He looked up into the eyes of a creature he had learned to respect as a warrior and then he died as his head was crushed. The Salvaje looked toward the Stargate as Granta and another followed two more through the horizon and waved for the remainder of the Clan to secure the area.

Jack got to his feet and brushed himself down then walked over to Alex who was moaning. His first thought was that the blast from the ion cannon had injured him but he was wrong. Alex had thrown himself into a patch of nasty looking vegetation. The spines on the plants had penetrated his uniform and scratched up his face. Jack leant over and offered a hand which Alex took to lever himself to his feet. "What a wonderful introduction to this new world."

The sarcastic comment was uttered as Daniel joined them and he grinned. "That's nothing wait until you meet the other inhabitants here, they are very unfriendly."

They turned at the sound of bags and boxes erupting from the Stargate and Jack looked around for Zzzig. She skittered up to him causing a ripple through the assembled clan and weapons were speedily raised. Granta let out an almighty roar that stopped them in their tracks and ran to the group placing a protective hand on Zzzig's head.

Jack looked down at her with a question in his eyes. "He sssays I am friend," Zzzig explained.

"Well tell him we need to take that ssstuff out of here real quick," Jack responded and Zzzig nodded with a giggling hiss and conveyed the message.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack checked the bodies of the Jaffa to ensure they were dead and the Goa'uld larvahey carried had also died. "Make sure there is no trace of us here," he commented to Alex and his men. "We want to give this Goa'uld a nasty surprise when we take out the ship." Alex nodded and grinned waving his men off to do the clean up quickly.

Then he looked at Sam with a puzzled expression. "What's with your sidekick? She looks spaced out."

Jack looked at Sam stood beside Granta and another Salvaje and smiled. "Don't mind Carter, she is just having a conversation with them."

"How?" Alex gasped.

"Same way as Zzzig does. Don't ask me to be precise… I don't understand it really."

"Ahh." Alex didn't quite know how to react to that comment. He turned and followed his men to pick up all their equipment and to police their brass.

Jack walked across to Sam and touched her shoulder to get her attention. Sam focused on him and smiled. "Tell Granta that we are clearing the area so that the Goa'uld don't know we are here or that anything came through the Stargate. We want to surprise them."

Sam nodded and then her eyes lost focus again as she communicated then looked at Jack with a grin. "Granta thinks it's a good idea and his people will help." As she explained the clan spread out covering the ground with a lot more speed. They found things Jack was sure he would have missed. In a short space of time they all headed into the woodland and vanished in the gloom. When the next duty patrol arrived they found their counterparts dead from an apparent attack on the Chappai by the inhabitants. It did not occur to them that anyone had come through the Stargate.

The woodland looked gloomier than Jack remembered it. He remembered trees, lots of trees but he also remembered sun and lots of colour. Now everything was dark and green and moist. It also felt cool and smelt of damp vegetation. He liked it and began humming to himself as he walked.

Granta cocked his head to one side and then looked down at Zzzig. After a moment Zzzig responded aloud when she answered him. "He does that when he is contented, many humans do."

Granta looked back at Jack and then around at the other humans, they all seemed alert but relaxed at the same time. One of his companions growled at him and he responded. "They are happy with their present task it would seem."

"Happy to fight this clan of similar race?"

"Yes. They believe they are evil and have fought them many times before. Zzzig has explained that they have sent their best people to help us." Granta let out a bark of laughter which made the human heads turn to see what he was doing. "I think that Zzzig is biased toward that particular human," he growled as he pointed at Jack.

Harding walked beside his CO and turned to him. "Wonder what they are discussing."

Zzzig could probably tell you," Colonel Masters replied. "She seems to understand him."

"That's because he is carrying the rock from her planet," Harding explained with a slight smile. "Sam explained. Apparently she can hear his thoughts too when he is close to her."

"Really! I wonder how that works." Colonel Masters enquired innocently.

"Are you kidding? Do you think I am stupid enough to ask either her or Daniel Jackson a question like that? I'd end up with addled brains!" The Colonel chuckled at the response, but went tense and froze with his hand raised. The two teams immediately stopped and raised their weapons. Granta watched for a moment and then strode over to Sam and touched her shoulder.

Sam looked at him for a moment and then relaxed. "Alex, it's more of their clan joining us." The teams were still slow to lower their weapons. When they could make out the three Salvaje moving through the trees towards them they relaxed.

"_That was impressive," _Granta thought at Sam.

"_What was?" _Sam thought confused.

"_He heard a Salvaje in the woodland, which is not easy." _Granta explained_. "We were expecting them but we did not hear."_

Sam looked at Colonel Master_. "He has been on as many missions off world as we have and had several close calls. He lost two of his men last year and is highly suspicious of new surroundings. I guess it makes his senses hyper."_

Granta Growled quietly and Sam grinned as she watched her new friend observing an old one very closely. She knew Colonel Masters was very good at what he did but she didn't understand why he interested Granta so much.

The Salvaje led them deep into the woodland and away from the area they had been to on their previous visit. Eventually they moved out of the woodland and stopped below the crest of a hill. Granta and his clan had become very nervous and Jack could sense the tension in the group. Jack, Zzzig and Granta crawled up to the top of the hill and looked over. What Jack saw set his mind racing. He turned and motioned for the others to come up carefully and Alex joined him with the others stringing out along the top of the rise. Everyone looked down on the Goa'uld ship sat just a half a click away with light brush cover from the bottom of the hill to within a few metres of the ship itself.

Jack turned round and leaned his back against the rock staring down at the rest of Granta's clan at the bottom of the hill. Then he turned and looked back at the ship after a minute he turned to look at his team. "Remember Cronus?" he commented a gleam slowly starting in his eyes.

Zzzig tilted to look at his face and then at the rest of the team. "Cronussss. Who is Cronusss."

"A dead Goa'uld," Daniel said slowly. "Who lost his ship."

Granta looked at Sam and growled, she lost focus for a moment and then grinned. "Granta likes that idea."

"What idea is that," Alex asked.

"We're gonna steal the ship," Jack responded with a grin.

"Last time we lost a whole team," Daniel commented.

"They were clones," Teal'c responded.

"They were still living beings," Sam responded and Jack nodded solemnly.

"Still," he retorted. "All things considered I think we will steal another ship and keep it this time."

Zzzig hissed in agreement. Taking what you wanted was an attitude she could understand properly.

"So all we need now is a plan," Jack finished as he motioned for everyone to retreat for the moment. "By the way Granta, what happened to the little people here?"

**Review always welcome**


	6. Chapter 6

They moved away from the immediate area and settled in the relative safety of the woodland to map out a plan. Granta and three of his clan settled with the SG teams in a small hidden hollow over hung with densely covered trees. It was gloomy but safe and they kept their voices low. Several of the clan were scattered around the area watching for signs of danger from the ship.

Zzzig proceeded to spin herself a little web to sit in. Granta's companion sat on the ground watching her in fascination. She climbed in and settled down like a queen on a throne, her black multifaceted eyes surveying the two alien species she had befriended. Jack's eyes twinkled as he watched from a few feet away but he knew he had to concentrate on the task in hand and motioned for everyone to assemble. He sat close to Zzzig and everyone else settled around him. As they settled down Granta noticed Zzzig stretch out a leg from the web and rest it on Jack's arm. He looked up at her briefly and frowned as if in conversation, then he made eye contact with Granta and cocked his head as if evaluating him. The Salvaje wondered if Jack could silently talk with the spider whenever he wanted and had no need of the rock nestled against his fur.

"Carter, you're the translator so settle down and concentrate on that task will you." Sam nodded in response and settled beside Granta. As everyone settled down to listen Jack settled against the tree Zzzig had picked. He pulled off his cap throwing it down beside him and rubbing his itching hair back in place. "We need Intel first of all and the easiest way to get it is to capture ourselves a live Jaffa."

"A good idea Jack," Alex commented. "They are not however given to letting themselves be taken alive. The Goa'uld do not treat what they consider failures very well. It's definitely an incentive to fight to the death."

"Colonel Masters is correct O'Neill, capturing one alive will be difficult." Teal'c commented to Granta's surprise as he had begun to think that Teal'c did not make any sounds.

"I would agree with you but I have a plan. Zzzig is going to get one for us," Jack responded.

Zzzig's web took up a rocking motion as she raised herself in her excitement. "I am? Yesssss, I can do that!" She began her hissing chuckle and Jack grinned at her.

"You do like hunting don't you girl," he teased.

"Yes, yes, I hunt good," she responded and what was a clear growl of amusement could be heard from the four Salvaje as Sam conveyed the reason for Zzzig's excitement.

"Granta asked if Zzzig can do this without coming to harm." Sam put into the conversation. "He seems to have become attached to her." She added this with a grin.

"Who doesn't?" Jack responded. "Tell him about the time I was kidnapped and that Zzzig rescued me," Jack responded. "Zzzig is not to be trifled with. She is very strong and has some formidable natural weapons of her own."***_Note_

"I get to play today?" Zzzig asked almost plaintively. It had been a while since she had been free to move beyond the confines of Stargate command.

"We get to play Zzzig, I am coming with you. We should not be too long and perhaps will be able to find a way onto the ship tonight. The sooner we do this the less chance of being discovered first."

"But sir…" Carter started.

"Zzzig and I make a good infiltration team we will be fine and will be back in two hours tops with our source of information. Get all the gear together and show Granta's clan who are unarmed how to use our weapons."

Sam nodded as she had no choice but to obey. Her gut however was telling her he was being reckless. Daniel was however not given to mildly obeying orders he didn't like. "Wait a minute Jack. Teal'c could go with you even if we can't or Alex…"

"No," Jack responded. "Zzzig and I work well alone, you know that. It has happened often enough now."

"Yes and every time you have been seriously injured," Daniel retorted.

Jack just shook his head and told Daniel to go help Carter so Daniel gave up. Alex looked from Zzzig to Jack as everyone began moving about gathering up their tools as well as preparing food. "It's true two of you are less likely to be seen but this isn't Iraq Jack and Zzzig is not trained for it."

"Zzzig doesn't need training. What she needs to do is instinctive." Jack responded. "Surely you are not worrying about me?" He commented with a laugh as he removed his jacket.

"10 dollars says you get hurt again," Alex responded with a slightly worried grin.

"You're on," Jack responded and motioned for Zzzig to follow him now he had divested himself of pack, jacket and P90. He kept his knives and pistol although he was hoping not to have to use them.

Alex watched as he disappeared through the trees. "It's 10 I hope I lose Jack," he murmured to himself.

Granta also watched as they left the hollow undecided whether to send two of his clan to shadow them. A moment later and while he was trying to make up his mind Jack vanished. He stared into the woodland and listened carefully but could not see or hear anything of them. He growled quietly to himself. "These humans are full of surprises."

Jack looked from the edge of the woodland toward the ship. He was well concealed and not at all worried about being discovered. Zzzig clung to a branch behind him looking over his head. Now that they were out hunting together she could be patient. Jack was a good hunter and they would bring back the meal. _'Well maybe he will let me eat him after,'_ she thought wistfully. It had been a long time since she had been able to take live food. He watched the guard at the temporary compound exit and could see they were alert and had no intention of leaving their post. He began to do a circuit of the ship looking for a lone Jaffa but they all seemed to be in groups. It appeared that the constant attacks from Granta's little neighbours had made them wary.

A hiss from Zzzig finally brought his attention to a Jaffa that appeared to be sneaking off into the trees on his own. Jack nodded to the spider who then skittered off through the woodland toward her prey. Jack followed behind as quickly as he could, grinning slightly at his friend's enthusiasm for the work in hand. He caught up as she was within twenty feet of her prey and felt the unmistakable presence in his mind telling him to be still. He crouched down to watch wondering again at his developing ability to communicate with Zzzig. Not that he had any intention of telling anyone about it. He knew he had always been able to sense her feelings since the fateful day they had met. This was something more though, almost words. He knew it no longer depended of the presence of the Mother Stone.

Zzzig was virtually frozen in place. Only her two front legs moved very slowly upward to her mandibles. Her sticky silken thread shot across the open ground with the precision and speed of a bullet and caught the Jaffa in the face, sealing his mouth shut. He made a grab for the silken thread and found his hands securely glued. Then the terrifying image of a huge spider rushed down on him and another thread fastening to his legs brought him down on his back. The terrified Jaffa found himself being rolled and spun and could no longer move or scream. Then the silk sealed his eyes shut and plunged him into darkness. He felt himself being lifted and carried and knew he was going to die.

Jack knelt down beside Zzzig's package and looked a question at his companion. "A presssent for my favourite human. Alive and ssssilent."

Jack grinned. "Sorry you couldn't eat him Zzzig."

"Perhaps tonight I will dine. Yessss?"

"Quite possibly," Jack murmured but did not dwell on the thought.

"You are sssqueamissh, yesss? They are enemy Jack," Zzzig responded to the unspoken thought.

"Yeah. Let's get him back to the camp and interrogated," was Jack's only response.

Half an hour later they entered the hollow with Zzzig carry her prize on her back. A crowd gathered around rapidly all eyeing the package with avid curiosity. "You are a real useful friend Zzzig," Alex commented as he handed Jack ten dollars.

"Yes and I am Jack's mate. I want no other," Zzzig responded with a hiss.

"Mate?" Alex questioned and looked at Jack who just shrugged. "Does she mean what I think she means?"

"Zzzig, undo your parcel for us will you and we will see what we have," was Jack's only response to the question.

The spider began to slice through the silken bonds as no one else wished to get stuck to them. First she cleared the face and shoulders and moved back so that they could see her captive. The Jaffa looked around at the mix of humans and the planet's native population and then his eyes came to rest on a familiar face. "Teal'c! Get me out of here!"

***_Note -_Reference to the story Fatal Error

**Always looking for comment on the storyline**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay RL has intervened. Will try to be quicker with the next bit.**

"Friend Teal'c?" The spider sounded so disappointed that Jack tried to hide the grin that threatened to appear in response.

"Rak'nor! What are you doing here?" Teal'c knelt down beside Zzzig's bundle and tried to hack at it with a knife. Zzzig continued to tear the wrapping from her prize and they soon had the Jaffa sticky but released. Rak'nor took several deep breaths as he rubbed at his skin and gazed fearfully at the huge spider.

"A friend of yours?" Jack asked Teal'c as he eyed the Jaffa.

"He was a pupil of Bra'tac and is one of us," Teal'c replied finding himself unusually reticent about Rak'nor's somewhat unstable past. "He is a friend," Teal'c confirmed looking Rak'nor in the eye and seeing gratitude in response to his affirmation.

Jack cocked his head to one side as he watched the interaction between the pair and realised Teal'c was not telling him everything. Then again he trusted Teal'c's judgement and trusted him with his life._ 'As long as it's not a Jaffa revenge thing and this isn't.'_ Jack thought. "OK. That is really useful. He can give us all the info we need on the ship."

Rak'nor looked at the Tauri and asked. "What are you going to do?"

To Rak'nor's surprise Teal'c exhibited a wide grin as he pulled him to his feet. "Steal it," he explained.

Rak'nor's surprise turned to a look of awe as he turned from Teal'c to Jack. Then he gazed around at the mixture of aliens that confronted him and a slow smile appeared on his face. "That would seem justifiable under the circumstances."

"What circumstances are those?" Daniel asked and Rak'nor looked at him properly for the first time.

"You are Daniel Jackson. I recognise you from Master Bra'tac's description. Your friends," he said pointing at the Salvaje, "are not going to like this. This Goa'uld loves to hunt. The only reason we are here is for him to be able to hunt them. He has a place on the ship were he is collecting their heads."

"He is doing this for sport, nothing else!" Sam demanded in an outraged voice. He nodded his head and noticed the huge creature stood beside her put a paw on her shoulder, as if to restrain her.

A growling began among the creatures surrounding him and he glanced nervously at Teal'c. "They understand me?"

"He understands Carter and Zzzig, and then he tells them." Jack explained as he waved his hand in their relative directions. "We need a way into the ship," he stated and waited for a reply.

Alex watched the scene with interest and decided that Jack O'Neill and his team got more than their fair share of luck on missions. He grinned as he realised how much easier Jack's intentions had just become. The Salvaje stood close to him saw him grin and bared its teeth in response. Alex took it as a sign of agreement and patted his arm. The creature stood still for a moment and then patted him back, pushing him a couple of feet in the process. Jack noticed the byplay and called Alex over to the group. Much to the Jaffa's relief they all settled on the ground to discuss what they intended to do.

"How long before you are missed?" Jack asked him.

"Another hour maybe when I am due on duty," he responded.

"Can you get us in?" Teal'c asked interrupting Jack.

"Same way as I came out. No one knows I am not on the ship."

"Why are you on this ship?" Daniel butted in his curiosity roused.

"This is one of the Lesser Goa'uld's. We were hoping to pick him off as he has a rival. We were going to use this to show our loyalty to him and gain trust in that Goa'uld camp. What you intend could be most useful to the Rebellion."

Granta growled and everyone turned to look at him and then at Sam. "Granta says that we all appear to be of one accord. This tactic will serve all three of our groups. We get the ship, the Rebellion gets its story and Granta and his people get rid of all of us." Sam grinned as she finished and Jack grinned in response as a rumble of amusement ran quietly around the hollow.

"Then it looks like we will be attacking from within. We will need to penetrate the ship now when Rak'nor returns." Jack stopped and looked at him. "This is just in case something unforeseen happens. I don't want to be faced with any curved balls when everything is running our way." There were nods of agreement all round and everyone began picking up their equipment.

Rak'nor looked at the aliens preparing to go with him and asked. "Who is going to control them?"

"No one," Daniel told him. "They are quite capable warriors in their own right. Sam will tell them what we are going to do and they will help us do it. Once the fighting starts you'll need to stay out of their way or you might get hurt by mistake."

**This could be short or I could do a hurt comfort that will make it longer?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here you are then, I promised I would catch up a bit.**

The exit Rak'nor had used when leaving the ship was a small maintenance hatch usually secured from within. Jack and Alex went through with Rak'norfirst to check the area was clear and then signalled for the rest to follow while they kept watch. Slowly the small groups made their way across the unsecured open ground well away from the main ships ramp. They remained undiscovered reaching the dubious safety of the ship. Once inside they split up and Sam went with Granta and his people to secure the Glider launch decks so they could not be attacked from above outside the ship. Alex and his team headed for the engine rooms to take over the heart of the vessel and the rest went with Jack and Rak'nor to the Control Deck to find the Goa'uld. Zzzig followed behind Jack's group through the nearly silent ship's corridors.

Suddenly Jack heard gunfire and looked at Teal'c who stopped and listened to the sound. "Glider bays," he commented and Rak'nor grunted in acknowledgement.

"There goes our element of surprise," Jack grumbled and motioned for everyone to move forward. Suddenly they could hear an angry voice with shrillness about it. "Wow, now that sounds like one angry Goa'uld!" Jack exclaimed sardonically and Daniel grinned at him knowing how satisfying Jack found making the Goa'uld angry.

"He will be off guard now. It is a good time for us," Teal'c commented as Jack upped their pace.

Jack motioned everyone to the sides of the corridor as Rak'nor indicated the Control Room was around the following bend. Jack motioned for him to remain out of sight for the moment and Rak'nor backed off. They burst into the room with Zzzig taking an almighty leap at the nearest Jaffa. Freed at last to be herself she clasped his head and yanked, then dropped the body. For the needed second the Jaffa in the room froze and the gunfire took out three before one had even moved. The Goa'uld however was not one of them and dived behind his throne and into his private corridor. Jack waved at Teal'c to take over the Control room and Daniel to guard the doorway they had just rushed as he dived after the Goa'uld. Zzzig skittered across the room and squeezed past the throne to follow him.

Rak'nor ran into the room in time to see the spider disappearing and looked to Daniel. "She's on a Goa'uld hunt. Nothing we say will slow her down. She follows Jack whatever he does and protects him."

"Why?" Rak'nor asked as he pulled a body away from one of the control stations to get a look at what was happening outside.

"Because Jack is her last connection with her world. Because if she was not with him she would have bred and died on that world. Because he is the reason she was created with individual intelligence by the intelligence she refers to as Mother."

"And who is Mother?" Rak'nor asked as he focused the outside instruments.

"The planet itself. It has an energy, a will of its own and controls all life there," Teal'c answered before Daniel.

"That is an excellent analysis Teal'c," Daniel responded surprised.

"I do listen to what you and Sam talk about. It has been unnecessary for me to comment," Teal'c stated with a slightly raised eyebrow. A smothered snigger from Rak'nor drew Daniel's eyes and he wondered if he had missed some Jaffa joke.

"Colonel Masters has control of the ramp but one of his men is injured," Rak'nor told them suddenly.

Daniel strode forward to check the screen. "Lieutenant Harding has been hurt but he is still alive." Then he saw a Jaffa creeping along the corridor towards them and reached for his radio. The gun in the Lieutenants hand spat throwing the Jaffa back down the corridor. "But he appears to be still capable of fighting. What about the Glider levels Teal'c."

"There are several dead Salvaje but Samantha Carter is unharmed and they have control there. There are still Jaffa free in the corridors and many have been caught outside the ship. They may go to the Stargate to escape."

Meanwhile Jack and Zzzig were heading toward one side of the Glider bays and Jack realised that the Goa'uld had an escape route. He speeded up to catch him before he could launch the hidden glider. He peered around a corner into an empty corridor and stepped out. The whistle of a projectile reached his ears just as a spear embedded in his chest throwing him against the wall. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

With a screech of rage Zzzig climbed the wall and ran along the ceiling of the corridor. Her speed gave the advantage and she dropped in front of the Goa'uld as she spat thread at his face and hand. She yanked him forward and bit and tore at the hand on which the weapon had begun to glow and shredded the flesh. "Mother is not yours to control!" she screamed at him and stabbed his chest repeatedly with her front legs. "You kill my friends, I kill! I kill!" A red glowing light began to emanate from her eyes as her rage mounted and she tore at her prey. Then she began to eat.

Teal'c had finally found the corridor in which Jack was lying on the floor with a spear sticking out of his chest and grabbed a radio. "Carter! O'Neill is hurt in a corridor alongside the Glider bays. To your left there is a door!"

"Got you Teal'c!" she responded and backed away from her position and shot out of the indicated door. Granta saw her go and followed knowing his people were quite capable of dealing with the Jaffa that remained. Sam ran into the corridor with fear in her heart. Jack was badly hurt she could tell by the urgency in Teal'c's voice. What she was faced with was unexpected and she stopped by the remains of what was probably the Goa'uld. He had obviously met Zzzig but there was no sign of her and no sign of Jack either. As they took control of the ship everyone spread out searching all the levels and rooms but no trace of Jack O'Neill or Zzzig could be found. A search of the surrounding land was also unproductive even with Granta and his people helping in the search.

"She will keep him safe," Daniel told Sam who looked strained as she could not think of what else to do.

"But if Jack is as badly injured as he looked on the screen. He could be…" Alex started.

"He is Not dead!" Sam ground out. "Zzzig will not let him die. He is her friend."

"From the look of that Goa'uld I am not sure of the spider's frame of mind," Reeves commented but shut up at the frown Daniel gave him.

"You know Zzzig; she won't let anyone near him until he can defend himself. Remember when they met, we left him for dead. Last time too, he was really badly injured and she healed him. He will be OK; we just have to find them."*** Daniel shook Sam by the shoulder. "You have work to do." Sam stared at him for a moment a retort on her lips and then she realised he was right. _'Duty! Duty! Jack! Where are you?'_ The mantra rang through her head as she began issuing orders.

*****References to Insect Tsunami and Fatal Error. Review always welcome :)**


	9. Chapter 9

A slight jolting motion brought Jack's mind back to the surface. His first groggy thought was that he had somehow found his way onto a boat. The swaying jolting motion made his head spin. Then slowly as he tried to focus Jack discovered he could only see grey. A memory of sudden terrible pain in his chest slowly impinged and he tried to move. A hot flash of pain told him he still lived but his arms were pinned and he felt constricted. It all suddenly began to feel all too familiar. A pressure on his forehead increased the familiar feeling and he stretch out with his mind and thought, _'is that you Zzzig?'_ He heard a hiss that sounded familiar but different, more aggressive. _'Zzzig, where are you taking me?'_ He felt a jolt as he was put down and then suddenly a swinging motion began. _'Zzzig,'_ he thought weakly. _'Take me to Sam.'_

'_No, you must heal. If I take you back they will interfere and do damage. Janet is not there to help you.'_ Zzzig answered. Then Jack knew he was rising upward as he felt the pressure on his chest and a falling motion. Zzzig was taking him up a tree again he guessed. There had been no sign in the spider's reply that anything he could say would make any difference. Zzzig had made up her mind that she was going to protect him from enemies and friends alike. He knew the team would guess he was still alive, but he also knew that if Zzzig wanted to hide him and herself it was doubtful if anyone would find them. _'I am alive and Zzzig will keep me that way,"_ he thought as his mind drifted down into darkness again.

'_Yesss my friend. You will be safe until you are strong enough to break your bindingsss. Then we will both go back.'_

Jack's thought rose again briefly. _'The Goa'uld?'_

'_I ate him,'_ Zzzig told him bluntly. _'Our friendssss have the ship.'_

Jack's mind chuckled its way down into the comfort of a pain free darkness as his body began to heal. Zzzig finished securing Jack high in the boughs of a large tree and then created a web beside him and settled down to rest. After a while she crawled closer and adjusted the Mother stone attached to his forehead. When she was satisfied she could read him she wound more silken thread around his head and his wounded chest. Then she began to excrete a thin liquid onto the thread soaking his bindings. Finally she settled back to her watch over him.

After a while she heard noises on the ground below and saw a couple of Jaffa pass under the tree. Thoughts of food came to her and she checked Jack again. Finally certain he was safely hidden and healing she swung from the tree on a thread and lowered herself to the ground. She stopped and listened for a moment and then began her hunt. When she arrived back at the tree two hours later she was carrying a brown bundle containing one Jaffa. This she hung high in the boughs, giving it an extra layer of silk so that this one could not escape. Then she went back to check on her friend and to rest. She spun more silk to patch a wound in her side. _'I must not be so careless, Jack needs me,'_ she thought.

Colonel Masters and his team had returned to the Stargate with an escort. Granta didn't want any harm to come to his new friends and nothing seemed to abuse him of the notion that they needed protection. He had instructed his clan to bring them back to the village after they had made arrangements for a team to pilot the ship back to Earth. The Colonel was curious to see how the Salvaje lived but needed to get Lieutenant Harding back for medical attention. He sent Reeves and Mortimer back through the Gate with the injured man and stayed to go back to the village. The team had been promised for the following morning by a very happy General Hammond.

Then he had to break the news of Jack's disappearance and possible death. The General had looked pensive on the video link but not unduly concerned. Like Carter, it appeared he believed the spider would protect him. Colonel Masters had been off world when Jack O'Neill had been abducted and did not know the full story of what had happened. This made him doubt the probability of Jack surviving such a terrible wound. Still a lot of people that knew Jack and the spider well seemed to think he would be OK. He just hoped they were right. General Hammond sent Reeves and Mortimer back through the Gate and as it shut down they made there way to the same village Jack's team had visited previously.

Back at the ship Sam thought she had found a private place to quietly cry her eyes out without interruption. She did not realise that Daniel had been watching her closely since she had taken over command. He followed her now to a small storeroom and waited outside for a while in silence. Finally he made his way in and sat down beside her on the container and pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Neither said a word as Sam cried herself out and then searched for a handkerchief. Daniel promptly supplied the needed cloth and smiled briefly as she blew her nose.

"Jack is not dead," Sam told him.

"No he isn't. Not until I see him being put six feet under would I believe it." he told her. "No, not even then would I believe it now. You just can't kill him! Mind you there have been times when I've wanted to!"

A muffled half sob, half laugh came out of the crumpled handkerchief and Sam took a deep breath. She visibly took hold of herself again and the shakes brought on by the crying died away. "Thank you Daniel."

Daniel nodded and then leaned away from her and against a pillar by the box. "I think we had better give it a few minutes before returning to the Control Room. The Salvaje may not recognise the red eyes, but Rak'nor and Teal'c will. Can't have the Jaffa thinking you're a weak female." His eyes glittered as he teased her.

Sam gave him a push and then got up and walked around the room checking the cargo stored there. It gave her something to do. She knew that Granta and some of his clan were retrieving the remains of their dead kin and preparing to take them back to the village. They would also be heading for the village tomorrow after they had been relieved of the ship. Rak'nor would leave shortly via the Stargate. The fewer people to see his face the less likely he would be inadvertently betrayed later.

Daniel watched her checking through the boxes and bringing herself back into balance. The smile had vanished from his face and it showed the strain underlying the banter. Jack was his best friend and he was seriously hurt and missing. Zzzig had better look after him or she would answer to him. _'Where the hell are you Jack?'_

**Reviews welcome**


	10. Chapter 10

Jack regained consciousness and at first he thought it was night because he seemed to be in complete darkness. Then he realised that he was still hanging from whatever he had been attached to. At least this time he could remember who he was and what planet he was on. Still he could not hear or see anything and he found that unnerving. He wiggled his fingers and found that the cocoon was now dry and becoming brittle. He wondered briefly how many times he could be cocooned like this and actually heal. Thinking about his previous encounters with healing devises Jack decided he preferred it to the Sarcophagus; at least Zzzig ministrations didn't steal your soul.

As he hung there trying to work up the will to struggle free he heard a low hissing sound above him. He hoped it was Zzzig but could not understand why she did not speak to him. A sense of unease gripped him and he began to try to struggle free. Suddenly a gurgling scream cut through the silence around him and he froze. _'What the hell!'_ He remembered another time being trapped in a cocoon with a bear using him like a punch bag and he began to struggle frantically to tear open his prison. He finally managed to free an arm and tore at the casing around his face. As his eyes cleared he realised it was late evening and he strained to look around. His small prison was hung high in a large tree, the ground at least twenty feet beneath him. Above him a clear darkening sky could be seen through the thin canopy.

Gradually he became aware of the hissing sound again and looked along the bough he was attached to. The large dark shape of his friend sat a little away from him. She appeared to be preoccupied and it dawned on Jack that she was feeding. No one had ever accused Jack of being squeamish but he looked away from the sight. _'No one should die that way,'_ he thought. _'Not even them.'_ It dawned on him that he really had not believed Zzzig was capable of such savagery and told himself she was only following her natural instincts. The rationalisation didn't help. After a while he felt rather than heard her moving towards him and turned. A red glow emanated from her eyes and seemed to trickle around her body. It was her aura he decided and his unease increased. "Zzzig?" he called questioningly and when she did not respond he stayed perfectly still. _'She's reverted. If she doesn't remember me,' _he thought a little desperately.

A leg stretched out and swung him toward her and he found himself firmly grasped in her front mandibles and staring directly into her eyes. His hands were now free and he knew how to stop her but was reluctant. To hurt this friend who had twice saved his life before and was trying to again was difficult. "Zzzig, say something buddy. You are making me nervous."

Jack's half joking tone seemed to reach her. "Jack…" She released him and he swung away from her. To jack she appeared confused and he tried to reach out with his mind unsure if he could now that the stone no longer pressed against his forehead. _'Zzzig what's wrong. What has happened?'_

"Jaacckk… I cannot… hisssss… Where are we?" Zzzig asked disjointedly.

"Get me out of this and we'll find out." It was then that he noticed the patch on her carapace. "Zzzig you are injured. Why did you not cocoon and sleep?"

"I could not leave friend unprotected. Now I will… ssleep."

"Wow there fella. Get me out of this first so I can take my turn in watching over you." Jack responded and after a moment Zzzig hooked him to her again and began tearing at the cocoon walls. She seemed to be having difficulty and Jack struggled to free himself. Suddenly he slipped out of the bottom and caught at the branch. A sudden sharp pain in his chest made him gasp and his grip began to slide. Two legs wrapped around him and pulled him back until he sat astride the branch. Jack ignored the gory remains close by and put a hand beside her injury. "I can manage now Zzzig. Let's wrap you up and get you to sleep," he said roughly. Jack realised that her injury was much worse than she had realised and the delay could have serious consequences for his friend. "Why do you protect me when your instinct is to think of us as food?" Jack asked her curiously.

As Zzzig spun her web and began to cocoon herself she hissed softly. "I am one of a kind, created for you by Mother. I could not have young so they could not eat me. On my planet now there isss no other like me. I am too big," she finished somewhat plaintively. "You and the She are my friendsss, my only family who understand Zzzig and forgive my strangenessss. I am so tired."

"Sleep my friend," Jack responded. "I will watch over you."

Jack moved back along the branch and watched the cocoon gradually hide her and then began to look around his perch. It was all very well telling Zzzig he would be fine but he was still in pain, weak down one side and had to get out of the tree. Then there was the remains of that corpse. He looked at it with distaste and moved carefully along the branch until he reached it. Turning around he kicked at it until it slid off of the branch and fell to the ground below. When he looked a little higher up the tree he could see Zzzig's web slung between two of the branches. He stared at it for a moment shook his head and carefully climbed to his feet. He managed to reach it and found that it was sticky. He grabbed the edge with his good arm and carefully hauled himself into it. The web took his weight and when he turned over it wrapped itself around him securing him in place. He checked he could see Zzzig's cocoon and with a wire smile he settled back and closed his eyes. Briefly he wondered how long he had been missing before he dropped off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Granta's invitation to visit his village and meet his people could not be ignored. The remains of the two SG teams met there after handing over the ship to its new Captain and crew. The ruined village that SG1 had found on their previous visit turned out to belong to Granta's Clan as they had already guessed. Now they could see it as it was meant to be, rebuilt and bustling with Salvaje of all shapes and sizes.

Teal'c had remained with the new crew to answer questions and help where needed on the trip to Earth. He did not want to go with them and for once argued with Sam about wanting to remain on the planet. In the end with Jack still missing he did as Sam ordered him because he knew O'Neill would expect it of him. He had watched Daniel and Sam leave for the village from the ramp an unreadable expression on his face. Sam looked back and felt bad about acceding to the Captain's request. Unfortunately she could see the sense in it and it had been backed by an order from General Hammond so she had no choice. Teal'c knew the Goa'uld technology well and could have flown the ship himself if it had been necessary. In the end there were only five of the people from the SG teams left to accept Granta's invitation. At least three of these people were hoping for an opportunity to go look for their missing friend.

Daniel was patient at first, wandering around the village and watching its inhabitants. He took notes and did his job for most of the day but he was not happy. The village should have held his attention and interest and at any other time would have done so. Unfortunately Daniel found he could not concentrate on archaeology and anthropology with his friend still missing. All searches had so far come up empty there was just no sign of Zzzig or Jack. He also found it increasingly irritating that he found it virtually impossible to communicate with Granta. Sam found it so much easier now to communicate with Granta and his people because she could use the Mother Stone, as it had come to be known. He also found it difficult to understand Granta's preoccupation with Colonel Masters. It was bordering on an obsession with the Colonel abilities and at another time he might have been intrigued but no one seemed to be looking for Jack anymore.

By the end of the day Daniel was ready to rebel. He needed something to do, anything that might help find his friend. Sam was deep in conversation with the Clan's Council and ignored him. Colonel Masters had gone hunting with Granta and Reeves and Mortimer were playing with a group of Salvaje children, teaching them to play baseball! Finally he stomped back to the room he had been assigned with a decision to go look for Jack himself. Quietly gathering a few things into his backpack and picking up his P90 he snuck away from the village. Daniel thought he had gotten away unnoticed but he was wrong. As he walked toward the woodland surrounding the village an older female Salvaje was watching him. She quickly went inside her home and a few seconds later a young, almost fully grown Salvaje emerged carrying a spear and a large bow. He ran swiftly across the clearing and followed Daniel into the woodland.

The woodland was now dark and cool as night was approaching. Daniel found it peaceful and his ears picked out the sounds of the night creatures as they woke and began to move about. The woodland seemed to hum and breathe, more alive at night than in the day. He took out his compass and orientated himself. A certainty had gripped him that Zzzig would not stray far from the Stargate and would have Jack hidden close by. He had no doubt that his friend was at present cocooned and hanging like a carcass in a meat larder. At any other time the analogy would have made him smile but Jack's predicament was not a laughing matter for Daniel now. _'Where Zzzig is Jack will be,'_ he told himself and struck out in the direction of the Stargate.

A little way behind him a shadow moved among the trees, keeping pace with but not interfering with his intentions. To the young creature Daniel's decision to go off alone was normal behaviour even if a little reckless for a stranger to the area. That his mother has seen this as an opportunity for her son to finally be allowed his Right of Passage had initially filled him with excitement. As he followed his charge this had given way to curiosity about what the human was intending to do. He had been told that they tended to travel in packs for protection. Suddenly Daniel's shadow stopped, he raised his nose in the air and sniffed. A low rumbling growl began deep in his throat. He recognised that smell from the raids on his village when he was small. His charge was in danger and he moved closer looking for the source of the familiar and hated smell.

Daniel continued on his way along the small track he had found. He carefully watched his footing and the surrounding woodland for signs of his friends and possible dangers. The darkness among the trees had become inky black further than a few feet away, even with the light from the planet's double moonlets shining down through the trees. As vigilant as he was trying to be he did not notice the shadow that followed him or the stalker that had joined them.

Back at the village Sam had been looking for Daniel for sometime. She was furious that he appeared to have wandered away on his own and increasingly worried. She watched as Colonel Masters and Granta returned to the village and the Colonel cross to his team. They stood chatting as a female approached Granta and began a separate conversation. As Sam crossed to the Colonel to tell him Daniel was missing the increasing barks and growls from Granta and the female stopped her. She turned to watch as the other SG member strolled over to join her.

A full blown fight appeared to be starting between the angry Salvaje as they suddenly collided and began rolling around on the ground. No one else seemed to be taking any notice, Sam looked at the Colonel and he shrugged, as puzzled as she was. Then it was over and the female let out a final bark, lifted her head and strolled regally away. Granta watched her for a moment and then turned toward the group angling straight for Sam.

'_There is a problem,'_ Granta thought at her.

'_I hadn't noticed,'_ Sam responded dryly and Granta let out a barking laugh.

'_Your friend has left the village and my mate sent my young son to watch over him.'_

'_That is good or bad?'_ Sam asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

'_It is difficult to be sure. It will be his first time alone in the woodland. Our children do not venture out without an adult until it is their time. He is a good hunter but still very young.'_

'_Why is this a serious problem,'_ Sam asked as she could sense Granta was disturbed.

'_The Hiugar have been seen in the woodland today. Not in great numbers but it is as if they know the threat from the aliens has gone.'_

"Damn!" Sam breathed.

"What is it?" the Colonel asked with concern.

"Daniel has decided to go off looking for Jack on his own and the only protection he has is a Salvaje child following him." Sam explained.

"Well he won't get lost then," the Colonel responded unconcerned. He thought Daniel Jackson was a lot more capable of looking after himself than his friends gave him credit for.

"The problem is those little beasts like the one that attacked me when we were last here. They have been seen close by and Daniel will have no idea they are around."

"Well we have no way of knowing where he is or of following him in this light. It will have to wait till morning." The Colonel said responded calmly.

"This is my fault," Sam ground out.

"Why?" He asked her in a puzzled tone.

"He tried to talk to me earlier and I ignored him. I knew he wanted to go look for Jack."

"We have been unable to find him Sam, why should Daniel have any more success than the Salvaje on their own territory?"

"Because he believes he can," Sam responded exasperated.

Meanwhile Daniel had reached a point in the woodland that was becoming increasingly dark due to dense vegetation. It suddenly began to press in on him, the darkness and the silence. _'Silence?'_ Daniel thought and spun round quickly realising something was not right. The Hiugar was only ten feet away and let out a squeal of rage as he was seen. He took a leap at the rapidly backing Daniel and landed with his feet thrusting into Daniel's chest taking him over backwards. Daniel lost the gun and suddenly found himself fighting a ferocious creature who was all teeth and hair. A claw raked the side of his face and shoulder as he grabbed the head to force the teeth away from himself. Then he managed to kick it away, but it charged back at him before he could get to his feet. Then it went sailing straight over him with a howl and he turned to find it pinned to the tree behind him. A large spear was imbedded in its chest and the creature was still struggling weakly. A large mass of red brown hair shot passed him with a growl and landed in front of the creature. There was a flash of a knife and the creature died where it hung. The Salvaje youngster turned and looked at Daniel then lifted his head and howled.

Daniel watched for a moment and then walked to the dead creature pinned to the tree. His instinct told him that what had happened was special to this youngster and he followed an old English ritual. He thrust his hand into the wound and streaked blood into the hair of the youngster's face. His response was to lift his head again and howl even louder then pulling the spear from his kill he offered it to Daniel. At that moment the two of them needed no words to communicate. Daniel took the spear and turned to walk on. The now adult Salvaje fell into step beside him.


	12. Chapter 12

Jack awoke and lay in the web quietly trying to work out why. It had been a distant sound, maybe a wolf or similar creature he thought. He looked up at the moons and wondered_. 'What are the seas like on this planet being pulled two ways? Then again does this planet have any seas?' _His musing was interrupted by another sound that came at him through the crystal clear air. It was an undulating, almost joyful howl from a long way away. _'What kind of creature makes that noise?'_ He rocked himself over to lean a little towards Zzzig's cocoon. She had sealed it firmly to the tree were it now glistened white in the moonlight. He leaned back and relaxed in his temporary bed and a smile appeared on his face. "Who would've thought that one day I would be lying in a sticky spider's web and be happy about it." Then he chuckled, closed his eyes and went back to sleep. He doubted if there were any dangers to Zzzig and himself so high up in the trees. He was also still too tired and hurt to care that much either way.

At the village supper was being passed out around a large bonfire in the guest's honour. Granta suddenly stood up and stared out into the darkness and Sam and the Colonel stared at him puzzled.

Then other Salvaje stood and the village went silent and the Colonel's look turned to one of surprise. "What the hell is that?" he asked rising himself.

Then Sam heard a faint howl way off in the distance. They both looked at Granta, and Sam grabbed the stone to concentrate on asking a question. Then all the Salvaje began to howl in reply. The village rang with the sound of joyful howling, barking and general celebration.

'_What is it?' _Sam asked Granta and he turned a huge grin toward her.

'_My son has made his first kill! He now has a voice.' _Granta thought at her proudly.

'_Has a voice?'_ Sam queried.

'_His opinion will be heard in Council with all adult Salvaje,'_ he explained and let off another howl of pure joy and Sam grinned despite her concern as to why the youngster had found it necessary to kill something.

'_So your mate was right to let him go?' _Sam asked with just a touch of mischief and Granta barked at his mate and she howled in response beaming at Sam. '_Do you know what he has killed?' _

'_A special howl for an enemy defeated. He has probably killed a Hiugar.' _

Sam turned back to explain what was happening to her companions but finished with her main worry. "I just hope Daniel is OK."

"I am sure that Daniel Jackson can look after himself after everything he's been through working with the SGC." The Colonel replied and shook his head. "You worry too much about what you can't influence. Tomorrow we will look for all of them. That sound was in the direction of the Stargate and that is the way we will go."

Sam nodded in agreement but it didn't stop her worrying. She was going to kill Daniel when she got hold of him. Then she was going to kill Zzzig for causing all this trouble. Then if Jack turned out to be OK she was going to kill him too!

The moons were chasing one another down to the horizon and a deep darkness was descending on the woodland. Daniel could no longer safely travel and looked for somewhere to rest for the few hours before dawn. He found a small stream and an area that gave them rocky protection for their backs and a clearing to their front. _'No more nasty surprises,' _Daniel thought. _'There could be more of those things around.'_

The youngster looked around where Daniel was settled and grunted his approval. He pulled a lump of food from his small sack and tore it in half, offering Daniel a share. Daniel delved into his and found a chocolate bar, broke it in half and returned the offer. They both looked suspiciously at their gifts and took tentative bites. Daniel's found his was a cured meat of some description and didn't taste bad at all. He nodded and smiled in the darkness and bit into it with more enthusiasm. The Salvaje watched for a moment then nibbled on the chocolate. Daniel watched the gleam increase in his eyes as they widened and a strange whistling sound emerged from him. Daniel grinned as he remembered his encounter with the young Unas Chaka and noted the similarities within the character of the races, if not their looks.

He leaned back and half closed his eyes, relaxing but still watching his new companion. After a few seconds he copied Daniel and relaxed but his eyes never shut. For the next three hours they rested there until the first traces of sunlight began to streak the sky. Then they moved on toward the Stargate with Daniel leading the way and his new friend watching for danger.

Sunlight struck Jack's face and he prised one eye open. To his surprise he found what looked like a large bird of prey sat at one end of his web hammock staring down at him. He looked at the animal and asked. "What is it with me that wildlife find so interesting?" The bird tilted its head to one side and then tried to lift its taloned foot. The talons were stuck fast on the web. "Well that will teach you to try and creep up on a fella," Jack told it as he considered his dilemma. If he could lever himself off of the web he could maybe help the trapped bird. Then again if he tried it would probably try to peck him to death and that was one mean looking beak.

A quiet voice from below told him that Zzzig was awake. "It is dangerous, yesss. I kill?" It was a question and to Jack's relief she sounded like her old self again.

"I would rather you didn't kill it if possible. It is a magnificent creature and it isn't her fault that I am nesting in her territory." Jack responded in a quiet lazy drawl. He was still feeling sleepy and wondered if that would ever go away and would he care if it didn't. "She is stuck Zzzig and my chest hurts too much to want to move yet," he admitted. A comment his team now or ones of old would have viewed with a great deal of surprise and worry. He didn't admit things like that.

"I will free her. I am not hungry now," Zzzig explained brightly and began to climb toward it. The bird took one look and began to panic, flapping its wings and getting them caught on the web. It began to lose feathers and get mired. "The stupid isss making worsssse."

"I can see that," Jack answered calmly. "Release me first, maybe it will realise we are not going to harm it." Zzzig turned away from it and went to work releasing Jack from his self imposed imprisonment. When her eyes were no longer on the bird it settled down again. "Quite intelligent aren't we?" Jack commented.

"Thisss you know I am," Zzzig commented in a puzzled voice.

"Not you. Are new friend over there."

"Ohh, but if I cannot look at it, I cannot free it without harm," Zzzig said a little sadly because it seemed Jack liked the creature.

"Well we will have to cut it free. With luck it will get the stuff off its feathers by itself." Jack grabbed hold of Zzzig's extended leg with his good arm and allowed her to lower him to the branch below. A pain shot through his chest and he ground his teeth. He had obviously not been cocooned very long. His chest felt wet and a quick look showed he was bleeding, not badly but he suspected he did not have the blood to lose. "Zzzig, I may pass out, be quick."

Zzzig looked down and saw the blood and jumped at the bird folding her legs around it and pinning it still. With her free back legs she slashed at the web and turned it to shreds, and then she let it go and swung down beside Jack on a single thread. She lifted him carefully and looked at the wound through his shirt. "Thisss cloth isss no good. You take off, I take off, which?" He could tell Zzzig was becoming excited as her language was deteriorating. Jack unbuttoned his mangled jacket and tried to shrug it off but could not. Zzzig tried to let him go and help but Jack overbalanced and began to slide off the branch. She grabbed him a little roughly and a moan escaped from Jack. Her desperation began to rise. Lifting this time she tried to move him but could not carry him down the branch, let alone the tree. Finally she wrapped a thick silken thread around his chest and lowered him back toward the ground. Behind her wings flapped as the bird finally rose from the shredded remains of the web and took off. Jack vaguely heard the bird's bid for freedom. "Oh good," he murmured as his mind slipped back down the black well, "one of us is free."

When he woke again he could see but could not move. Zzzig had rewrapped his chest and arms but not his head. The Mother Stone that the spider had taken from the dead Goa'uld was lying nestled against the flesh of his wounded chest and it was glowing. Zzzig sat beside him hissing quietly to herself as she concentrated on the stone. Jack led still not wanting to distract her from what she was attempting to do. After a while she stopped hissing and Jack suspected she had fallen asleep, although that was difficult to tell as her multifaceted eyes had no lids to close. He tried to move and that elicited no response from her. "Definitely asleep on the job," he commented but he didn't mind as she had managed to eradicate the pain.

Lying still and waiting for her to wake was not in his nature so he attempted to roll onto his side and found he could. This brought about the discovery that his legs were also free so he carefully swung himself up into a seated position. Finally he made it to his feet and stood looking at her with his arms clamped to his side. A low growl from behind warned him that they were not alone. He turned to face the latest threat and was faced by three Hiugar, not that he knew what they were called.

"Huhh, Zzzig, wake up we have visitors. Zzzig!" Jack's voice took on urgency as they all moved forward aware that he could put up little resistance to them. "Zzzig!" He shouted again as he kicked out and caught the closest where he hoped it would hurt most, sending it flying into the undergrowth. Zzzig snapped awake and leapt over Jack to stand between him and the remaining two. "Could do with my hands free," Jack called as he struggled to release his arms.

"Not now," Zzzig responded. "I am busssyyy," and she jumped at the remaining two creatures who tried to mount her. One she caught in her jaws and tore apart but the other was on her back. Jack could not get near to help and the last one reappeared from the undergrowth screaming and rushing at him. Two high pitched screeches deafened him as a pair of large birds descended talons outstretched. One dug the bright sharp instruments into the back of Jack's opponent. The other grabbed the Hiugar off Zzzig's back and lifted it high into the air, then let go. The creature tumbled back to earth head first and did not get up again. Zzzig spun round and speared the other one with a leg and it went limp in the bird's talons.

Both birds then settled on the ground and waddled toward Jack. One still had spiders web clinging determinedly to one wing. When he told Zzzig that it was intelligent he had not meant quite that intelligent.

"Thank you my friend," Jack responded lifting the hands that stuck out the bottom of his silken wrap.

"Yesss, thank you," Zzzig hissed and the second bird hopped away wings spread in alarm. The one still showing signs of the web just tilted its head to one side and blinked at her.

"I think you've made a friend Zzzig.

"That would be my guess," a voice Jack recognised commented from behind and turned to find Daniel and a young Salvaje watching them. The moment was over and the two birds took off to the relative safety of the higher branches.

"How'd you find me?" Jack asked.

"Deductive reasoning and his nose," Daniel responded with a grin. "You haven't had a bath in days."

"Neither have you," Jack responded.

"Why are you bound up like a Christmas turkey?"

Jack chose to ignore the comment and asked. "Why are you alone?"

"I'm not," Daniel retorted.

"That is not what I mean and you know it. Where are Teal'c and Sam?"

"Teal'c is on the way back to Earth with your prize possession. Now salvaged by the American Government. Sam… Well the truth is… I left her at the village to come look for you."

**Final bit of the story next and maybe an epilogue, not sure if it will need one. Reviews please :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Jack felt too tired to be mad at Daniel for taking the risk of coming after him alone. He stumbled to the trunk of the large tree, sank to the ground and leaned against it. "You don't mind if I sit down do you? I'm not sure whether Zzzig is ready to unfasten my chest yet." He closed his eyes for a second willing the tiredness to go away. "You know Carter is going to be real annoyed. I wonder what she will do to you." He opened his eyes again and raised an eyebrow at Daniel a small smile appearing and a twinkle the injury had not banished from his eyes.

"Yeah, well I will have to watch my back for a while. There's no telling how she will pay me back for this," Daniel replied as a faint grin appeared.

"Who's your friend?" Jack asked.

Daniel distastefully lifted one of the corpses and moved it into the undergrowth and came back to sit with his friend. There was relief now that he had found him alive and he just wanted to get him home. "Why did Zzzig run off with you?" Jack looked at him and then waved toward the Salvaje. "OK, OK. Zzzig can you discover my friend's name and if we can pronounce it?"

Zzzig gazed steadily at Jack for a moment and then bobbed her body. "If I have the Mother Stone, possssibly."

"Well can we remove it?" Jack asked. "It is sticking in my chest."

Zzzig glided forward and began to carefully remove the silk from Jack's chest. The Salvaje moved closer watching what was happening. He knew the humans were not in danger from the spider but he didn't understand what it was doing. Then he saw the wound, the edges still raw and puckered and realised that a Salvaje would have been dead if he had received such a wound. He stretched a hand toward it but stopped realising that he could not touch it safely. Then he stared at the spider as it lifted the rock it had removed from the wound. The rock began to glow as it approached his head and he backed away. Daniel got up and took the rock and pressed it on his forehead and then offered it to him. He took it as he remembered the rock his father was carrying and used when he spoke to the human female.

He applied the rock to his head not knowing what to expect and dropped it when he heard the noise inside himself and the world around him changed colour. They were watching him carefully as he growled in frustration and picked it up and tried again. This time he could almost hear his father's voice as Zzzig tried to internally imitate the sounds._ 'Daniel wishes to know the name of his friend.'_ Zzzig told him carefully.

_'My name has to be given me when I return to the village with a voice.'_ he explained carefully.

Zzzig relayed the answer and Jack scowled. "What kind of answer is that? He must have a name."

"Maybe it is like some Earth cultures they have a child name and are given an adult name when they prove themselves worthy of one," Daniel offered.

Zzzig relayed this idea to the youngster and he barked and nodded his head as he had seen the humans do several times._ 'Perhaps you can give me a temporary human name?'_

Daniel grinned at Jack. "Well what should we call him then?"

"Chewie," Jack responded. "Not hard to remember for us and he will soon look just like him."

"Chewie," Daniel responded. "A great warrior in Earth mythology."

When Zzzig relayed this answer the youngster tried the name out loud, it was guttural but recognisable and he liked it. He spun round once and lifted his head and howled the name at the sky then bared his teeth in a copy of their grin. "OK Chewie, help me with my friend and we will go somewhere safer, like the village." Zzzig quickly relayed this message before retrieving the Mother Stone.

With Jack back on his feet and supported by Chewie and Daniel they started back toward the village. Zzzig now relieved of her burden skittered along in front of them scouring the area for any danger. Overhead Jack could hear the sound of the birds of prey as they circled protectively. It seemed nature itself wanted them to get back safely. As he stumbled along Jack wondered about the birds. He knew even on Earth they were intelligent but it did not extend to helping strangers, not that he knew of.

About midway back to the village Zzzig heard movement ahead and they began to look for cover. Chewie suddenly barked and began waving his paws and sniffing the air then grinning. They quickly realised he was indicating that friends were coming and theykept moving. They saw Colonel Masters and Carter first, followed by Granta, Reeves and Mortimer. Behind them were another half dozen Salvaje all intent on finding the errant Archaeologist and the missing friends. Daniel and Chewie carefully lowered Jack to the ground to wait. Zzzig began dancing around him checking the wound and fussing and hissing as only she could. Chewie barked at her and she hissed back then looked up as she heard a noise above her head.

The group from the village came to a halt as a pair of large birds swooped down on them. "They're only warning you off!" Daniel shouted. "They're friends!" Chewie barked and growled out the same message to his bemused relatives.

"Back off a minute will you," Jack asked and Daniel and Chewie went to join Sam and Granta a few yards away. The birds settled on the ground and hopped towards Zzzig and Jack as he rolled over and climbed carefully to his feet. He walked toward the birds slowly so as not to startle them with Zzzig gliding quietly behind him. He reached out with his good arm and touched one head and then stroked the wing trying to remove the remains of the web. Most of it became stuck to his fingers and he rubbed his hand on his trousers. He tilted his head to one side and the bird copied him, then he waved his hand. With that both birds rose and quickly became spots in the sky and disappeared.

The group walked forward with Carter watching the rapidly disappearing dots and then staring at her CO. "Will explain later. Now I think the SGC is where I want to be." Jack commented.

"Yes sir," Carter responded eyeing him speculatively.

"Chewie!" Jack called and the SG teams turned toward the Salvaje group in surprise. "We are going straight to the Stargate."

Chewie barked and approached Zzzig waving a paw. Zzzig offered the Mother Stone to him and they had a brief conversation. Sam watched amazed that he had been able to adapt to that form of communication so easily.

Zzzig finally hissed at him and translated. "He asksss that I tell you they will come with usss to the Stargate to ensssure our safety. The name you have given him he hasss explained to hiss father and it will be hisss adult name. He isss proud to be named after an Earth warrior." At that comment Reeves started to cough and Mortimer grinned, Colonel Masters frowned them down. "He knows it is only story but it isss warrior name."

"Tell him we are honoured that he would accept the name we have given him," Daniel responded before anyone else could and Zzzig complied.

Two of the Salvaje walked forward with an improvised stretcher and Jack allowed himself to be confined to it. They watched fascinated as Zzzig plastered another silk patch onto his chest and proceeded to fasten him onto the stretcher. "Zzzig, that isn't necessary," Jack snapped irritated.

"But Jack… the She said I was to do it."

Jack turned a glare at Carter who looked back innocently and thought._ 'One down, one to go…'_

_**THE END**_

**Please comment on the story as a whole. Feedback is useful in deciding how to structure my next story.**_**  
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